i think he left because he didnt feellike playing anymore and wanted to spend his time preaching Islam.He had become very religious after the death of his young daughter i believe!The last tournament he played, he had to be pretty much begged by the admin. to play, he wasnt really interested in the end, last 6 months or so.

That looks ok,the only change i would make is Yaseer hameed instead of Razzaq....i dont think Razzaq is a test player, he doenst have the pace anymore.Also with Asif in shaky form, and Gul w/o the same impact in tests, i think it depends alot on how Gul bowls and if asif regains form!

“Aisa lag rahan hain, ki hum jannat mein practice kar rahen hain (It feels like we are practicing in heaven),” Aaqib Javed mentioned to the Umar Gul, Mohammed Aamer and Danish Kaneria. A burst of laughter followed as the four men watched in the direction of four bearded men, dressed in jabbas (ankle-length tunics) standing at one end of the nets on the practice grounds in Leicester.

One of them, a familiar face, had just given a half-hour long practical lesson to Saeed Ajmal on the art of off spin. Saqlain Mushtaq might have retired from the cricketing minds after Virender Sehwag’s Multan assault in 2004, but the pioneer of the doosra still can teach his apprentices more than a lesson.

Staying in Leicestershire, Saqlain dropped in to visit the Pakistan team and also offered the Friday prayers with some of the players. Thought he had grown a slight paunch (“I’m eating home-cooked food three times a day,” he chuckled) he still seemed in peak fitness, considering he is still active in the local cricket league where he makes inexperienced batsmen dance like puppets with his lethal doosra. Ajmal, who can bowl the other ‘un confidently, was more keen on understanding the flight and accuracy which Saqlain was famous for in his peak.

Luckily, Saqlain was in his element. Folding the sleeves of the tunic, he rubbed his hands on the dry turf before approaching the crease in minimalist fashion. “Oooh, what flight,” gushed Ajmal at the other end. “He is the master of doosra,” Ajmal said, rolling his smiling eyes again. Not to be forgotten was the control. Ajmal aspired he could have all the skills Saqlain possessed. Obediently he listened to the master with folded hands, as if standing for a prayer. Saqlain obliged without any fuss and got immersed in imparting the knowledge selflessly.

Forget the other ‘un, it was the simplicity that caught the eye each time the ball floated out of his fingers seamlessly and pitched in the spot where Saqlain wanted it. Today’s youth might just remember Muttiah Muralitharan and his doosras but if you were a cricket fan in the 1990s there was a popular line that would do the rounds, which numerous kids in streets of Pakistan and India woud repeat: “Well bowled, Saqi,” Moin Khan would groan hoarse from behind the stumps each time the offspinner beat the bat. The sight of him taking two steps before flicking the ball which looped nicely towards the batsman before drifting away from the bat would drop jaws instantly. More than a decade later, those fingers can still create the magic. It doesn’t matter if he is wearing cricketing whites or prayer clothes.

That looks ok,the only change i would make is Yaseer hameed instead of Razzaq....i dont think Razzaq is a test player, he doenst have the pace anymore.Also with Asif in shaky form, and Gul w/o the same impact in tests, i think it depends alot on how Gul bowls and if asif regains form!

+1 to that.

6 bowlers are more than enough for one game. two full time spinners and three fast bowlers and one change shoaib mailk, are more than what we need. Looks like yasir did pretty good on practice match so I guess razzaq might get left out.

6 bowlers are more than enough for one game. two full time spinners and three fast bowlers and one change shoaib mailk, are more than what we need. Looks like yasir did pretty good on practice match so I guess razzaq might get left out.

If Tauqeer Zia's na ahel damad gets selected for the test, esp. after this shitty batting performance(amongst other numerous ones)...i will have this urge to puch the dry wall or something similar and say some alfaaz in his shaan!

Yea i read that articleon cricinfo about saqlain, my heart just sank.I swear if he been playing for the last 6 yrs, he wud have been very close to Muralis record in tests, broken wasims record in one day and many more(only spinner to have two hattricks?)

If Tauqeer Zia's na ahel damad gets selected for the test, esp. after this shitty batting performance(amongst other numerous ones)...i will have this urge to puch the dry wall or something similar and say some alfaaz in his shaan!

Yea i read that articleon cricinfo about saqlain, my heart just sank.I swear if he been playing for the last 6 yrs, he wud have been very close to Muralis record in tests, broken wasims record in one day and many more(only spinner to have two hattricks?)

Yasser Hameed had a very big technical flaw as a complusive driver. The aussies exploited it prudently and ruined his career. Without the two Y's our batting is the weakest link. I hate to try untested players on a big tour!

Salman Butt ( our regular opener now with decent form)Umer Amin (talented batsman but untested in english conditions)Yasir Hameed (hopefully he has rectified his weakness)Umer Akmal (keep the new ball away from him and watch him pile on runs)Shoaib Malik (needs to really take these tests by the scruff of the neck and prove his worth)Shahid Afridi (need another inspiring innings from him)Kamran Akmal (need him to perform with both bat and gloves!)Mohammad Aamer (needs to continue to flourish)Mohammad Asif (we need to give him a chance to regain his rythm and qualitative edge)Umer Gul (needs to be more effective in tests format and avoid short pitched delivers and concentrate on full swinging ones like waqar)Saeed Ajmal (needs to be used effectively to puzzle the aussies)

Yasser Hameed had a very big technical flaw as a complusive driver. The aussies exploited it prudently and ruined his career. Without the two Y's our batting is the weakest link. I hate to try untested players on a big tour!

Salman Butt ( our regular opener now with decent form)Umer Amin (talented batsman but untested in english conditions)Yasir Hameed (hopefully he has rectified his weakness)Umer Akmal (keep the new ball away from him and watch him pile on runs)Shoaib Malik (needs to really take these tests by the scruff of the neck and prove his worth)Shahid Afridi (need another inspiring innings from him)Kamran Akmal (need him to perform with both bat and gloves!)Mohammad Aamer (needs to continue to flourish)Mohammad Asif (we need to give him a chance to regain his rythm and qualitative edge)Umer Gul (needs to be more effective in tests format and avoid short pitched delivers and concentrate on full swinging ones like waqar)Saeed Ajmal (needs to be used effectively to puzzle the aussies)

I dont think Umar has done terribly against the new ball, considering in many instances in the aussie tour he came out within 10 overs...but he is fine at 5 i guess.Apparently the coaches claim that Hameed has hammered out his technical flaw....lets hope its true. btw, if u look at afridis dismissals, its alwasya short pitched delivery that he tries to hook or pull OFF THE FRONT FOOT:p...the problem in tests is that they can use those alot so he needs to leave those alone i think...like duck anything around his chest.We love him and all but the guys cant pull or hook off the backfoot and we know it:P

Im sick and tired of Ijaz Butt, we have the captaincy,coaching issues sorted out and the team is looking fine, then why the heck is this #### administrator still tolerated.His personal vandetta gainst Younis and inflated ego is hurting Pak cricket!!!!

umer is the best batsman find in Pak for a long time now. he is technically great and know how to deal with new balls but i hate to expose him so early since we really don't have another very talented and reliable batsman.

in our tour down under he was the only one who averaged 40 and the next best was salman butt at 30!Yoyo and Younis both average 50's against aussies!

I have no doubt in our bowling abilities its the batting that i'm concerned about.

I have no doubt in our bowling abilities its the batting that i'm concerned about.

Its from very beginning... WE have very good hitter of the ball ... but for TEST CRICKET we need some young players who can stay on the wicket like Javed Miandad , Saeed Anwer , Inzi , Mohammed Yousuf.. etc

umer is the best batsman find in Pak for a long time now. he is technically great and know how to deal with new balls but i hate to expose him so early since we really don't have another very talented and reliable batsman.

in our tour down under he was the only one who averaged 40 and the next best was salman butt at 30!Yoyo and Younis both average 50's against aussies!

I have no doubt in our bowling abilities its the batting that i'm concerned about.

Younis doesnt get along with most of the squad, yoyo for a 35 yo man listens to his BUZURG way too much!!! with the teams mutiny against boht these players out in the open, i think the managment thought it was best to keep them away andlet the new blood take their place..its a bold decision, almost a gamble, but lets see.If the two Ys can keep their hhurt egos in check, we cud have kept them in the team, but whats the gaurantee.and then u have I Butt's ego to deal with as well!

For some odd reason,cricinfo is implying that Farhat might play...i swear if that ###### plays ill be cussing butt and tauqeer zia for the whole day!

Also you think its fair to have Kaneria instead of AJmal?Azhar ali plays the spinners well, but has serious problems against the pacers...and considerign the australian side is packed with them,i dont see why yasir hameed wasnt preferred:S...thrusting in new talent regardless of the outcome doesnt sound too intelligent to me!

whta the f)8k is the #an()i ka batcha Im$$n farhat doing in the batting line up...this is so Fu(ked up.....i hate PCB...parchi chhab mad*7chod.

Bro, no matter how upset you are, you shouldn't swear at people's parents. Imran Farhat is a pro cricketer who is trying to earn his living like the rest of us and not there for fun lest we forget. If this is what the PCB have got then it is something we have to accept. The biggest problem here is the Pakistani domestic cricket. It needs to be re-structured and considerable investment poured in so we can produce strong, modern and mentally tough cricketers like the aussies and the english.

Bro, no matter how upset you are, you shouldn't swear at people's parents. Imran Farhat is a pro cricketer who is trying to earn his living like the rest of us and not there for fun lest we forget. If this is what the PCB have got then it is something we have to accept. The biggest problem here is the Pakistani domestic cricket. It needs to be re-structured and considerable investment poured in so we can produce strong, modern and mentally tough cricketers like the aussies and the english.

My apologies, a little too emotional about my cricket.If i am not mistaken , he is Gen(rtd) Tauqeer zias son in law,i know Mr. Zias son was in the team at one time but can someone confirm what backing Imran has because i know there is some connection.... There are far better players in the squad even, how does he have precedence over soo many players left out of the squad, or even Yasir hameed for that matter!He has failed soo many times and yet we persist with him.

My apologies, a little too emotional about my cricket.If i am not mistaken , he is Gen(rtd) Tauqeer zias son in law,i know Mr. Zias son was in the team at one time but can someone confirm what backing Imran has because i know there is some connection.... There are far better players in the squad even, how does he have precedence over soo many players left out of the squad, or even Yasir hameed for that matter!He has failed soo many times and yet we persist with him.

brother He is not son in law of Tauqeer zia infact he is son in law of one selector (I dont know he is still selector or not) The name of the selector is Mr. Ilyas.Any how lets see his performance may be he will score.I do agree with you that he is not better option as compared to yasir but He (Imran) made century last year against Newzealand. thats why management preffered him over yasir.I hope Pakistan will try to win this match Insha Allah.

brother He is not son in law of Tauqeer zia infact he is son in law of one selector (I dont know he is still selector or not) The name of the selector is Mr. Ilyas.Any how lets see his performance may be he will score.I do agree with you that he is not better option as compared to yasir but He (Imran) made century last year against Newzealand. thats why management preffered him over yasir.I hope Pakistan will try to win this match Insha Allah.

But he does this often, scores one big innings out of 5 or 6, he is not consistent.And besides that from what i have seen, he just lacks a good technique, he is too iffy, u are never comfortable and sure when he is batting, he plays and misses alot.And then today, he scored a 4...heck even Imran nazir with his explosive batting has a better TEST average than Farhat!!

btw,i really hope it doesnt rain.We have them on the run, if we can put 400 on the board,it will be hard for them to bounce back,if we have 350, it will give us a good chance, we must have a 100+ lead!btw, kaneria bowled with alot of zip yesterdya,it was nice to see him in the groove...usually he throws up too many lose deliveries.

damn,i went to sleep and woke up to this shitness! totally disgusted.Although i dont beleive it, all the dushman of pk cricket will come out claiming that pak is only a t20 team...this is what happen when one idiot with his ego problems bars the best players.On top of that,they filed TWO new players in the same match.and again farhat proved his worhtlessness. i really doubt we can bounce back, but umeed pe dunia kaim hai, lets see.

i remember in 2004, sehwag was struggling and then his 300 against pak on a flat pitch (with 6 dropped catches)and now when watson was struggling with bat and ball, we give him 5 wickets, HIS FIRST!!They must love pak!

This Pakistani side isn't equipped to deal with test cricket in any shape or form. The biggest weakness is a depleted and inexperienced batting line up. There is no patience and confidence to stay at the crease. Also, including two inexperienced debutants at the third and fourth spot of the batting line up is a fundamental mistake. The top middle order is the weakest link. Don't expect any miracles against a test cricket powerhouse such as Australia. Australia has made the runs comfortably and will now exploit Pakistan's batting line up unless Butt and his partner decide to be extremely patient and go after the bad balls without being too adventurous. The key to success is a huge partnership without the loss of a wicket. Taking as many singles and doubles without being too risky. Butt is the only opener in form capable of scoring runs. He needs support from the other end. His partner will have to hold on and allow Butt to score the runs. Butt needs as much strike as possible. Having said that, Imran Farhat shouldn't have been included in this test side. I hope I'm proven wrong in the 2nd innings. However, I don't expect such patience and intellect from the Pakistani batting line up. Again, I hope I'm proven wrong.

This Pakistani side isn't equipped to deal with test cricket in any shape or form. The biggest weakness is a depleted and inexperienced batting line up. There is no patience and confidence to stay at the crease. Also, including two inexperienced debutants at the third and fourth spot of the batting line up is a fundamental mistake. The top middle order is the weakest link. Don't expect any miracles against a test cricket powerhouse such as Australia. Australia has made the runs comfortably and will now exploit Pakistan's batting line up unless Butt and his partner decide to be extremely patient and go after the bad balls without being too adventurous. The key to success is a huge partnership without the loss of a wicket. Taking as many singles and doubles without being too risky. Butt is the only opener in form capable of scoring runs. He needs support from the other end. His partner will have to hold on and allow Butt to score the runs. Butt needs as much strike as possible. Having said that, Imran Farhat shouldn't have been included in this test side. I hope I'm proven wrong in the 2nd innings. However, I don't expect such patience and intellect from the Pakistani batting line up. Again, I hope I'm proven wrong.

Well said, Pakistan is seriously lacking in test cricket. I think it has a bit to do with the fact that we havent really played test cricket and also stupid politics.Politics has never really affected pak cricket, THIS MUCH.I mean sure before it use to be the odd parchi nawaz getting pushed thru, but now every decision is political with incompetent friends at the top and then corruption all they way down.When you have players like the two Ys sittign at home, and even Shoaib malik and hameed inthe squad and not played,and you have Farhat trash then its hard to comprehend those decision and believe that ther eis any sincerity at the top.

HOW ON EARTH, DO YOU GO FROM 188-8 TO 343!!! HOW DOES HILLFENHAUSE make 50+ runs.....this is stupidity of the highest level.Why the hell was afridi bowling himself so much when he was getting slapped around and we desperately needed wickets.This is unacceptable, after strangling the opposition like that, they just let them off.It could have been the difference between us ending day three needing 225 run runs vs 320 that we need righ tnow!!!Butt is playng his heart out but he needs support from 3 other batsmen atleast, and tey have to show fight now.Afridi has to learn not to be so thick headed and realize that he is fundamentally a one day bowler and not a test bowler!Ponting might have said that because he knows stupidity takes hold of Pak cricket eventually and we tend to self destruct more than anything else. If we had only scored some runs and finished them off around 200, things would have been markedly different!.For the second test,i hope they replace hameed with farhat and also put shoaib malik in there instead of one of the debutants.

Butt got out in the 90's - played well but it was unfortunate he couldn't get a century and carry on....Umer Amin and Azhar Ali played ok given the conditions.Umer Akmal had a rush of blood and is out on the last over before lunch!!!! Ouch!!! that is going to foookin hurt!!!

Unless Afridi and Kamran don't make centuries then we are out...... :@

Butt got out in the 90's - played well but it was unfortunate he couldn't get a century and carry on....Umer Amin and Azhar Ali played ok given the conditions.Umer Akmal had a rush of blood and is out on the last over before lunch!!!! Ouch!!! that is going to foookin hurt!!!

Unless Afridi and Kamran don't make centuries then we are out...... :@

Ugh...we were cruising along with butt and azhar and then amin..i cant believe they fell to north, and that too lazy/rash shots...khair butt played really well, looked VERY SOLID, the dismissals wasnt him being outdone,it was just a tired shot.Akmal needs to balance his aggression, hes a talented player but no need to be attacking friggin last over before lunch, that tells you the problem is in their temprament, and not their skills!Yea now it sgoing to be hard, akmal and afridi need to see off today..but smart money is on Aus...if u asked me 30 mins ago..i might have been foolish enough to say Pak.

Pakistan may have come quite a long way, but I don't expect much. Things shouldn't have gone the way they have after the 1st innings. After restricting the Australians we should have made full use of putting enough runs on the board. It just didn't happen because we lack genuine test batting depth. That also is becoming apparent in the second innings. As long as we don't have a solid batting line-up we will barely win any test matches against test cricket nations.

Amin gone as we speak. Marcus North a part-time bowler like Shane Watson in the first innings has so far done the damage. The newcomers haven't impressed me thus far to be honest. Pakistan are in dire need of the likes of Yousuf and Younis. Apart from Butt this just isn't a test cricket batting line up. First we used to have opening problems and now you can also include the middle order.

Another tip is to remove Shahid as the test captain ASAP! T20 and ODI is fine, but test cricket is a different ball game. We need another test captain. Shahid isn't test cricket material. You don't come to the crease as a captain and set a bad example by hitting the ball and getting out 2nd ball.

It's not his fault. It's the fault of the thick selectors who still haven't understood that Afridi only belongs in the T20 format as a player. Even ODI isn't suitable for Afridi in my opinion. To make matters worse, unfortunately, I don't see this side learning from their mistakes and rectifying them in the 2nd test match. I just don't see it happening. To be short, it's the same old story...

Shahid Afridi made the decision that seemed inevitable from the day he took over as Test captain, by announcing his Test retirement immediately after leading his side to a 150-run loss against Australia at Lord's. Afridi has been a reluctant Test player over the years and this Test was his first in four years. A poor personal performance, capped by a four-ball two on the last day - out slogging to deep midwicket - didn't help matters and the second Test against Australia at Headingley starting on Wednesday will now be his last.

Salman Butt, the vice-captain, is likely to take over the leadership for the England series though that is not set in stone until the PCB makes a final decision. Whoever does take over will be Pakistan's fifth Test captain since the start of 2009.

"I was not very keen to play Test cricket but the board asked me to see how I felt," Afridi told Sky Sports. "My temperament is not good enough for Test cricket and we need a proper batsman or a proper bowler.

"I injured my side in the Asia Cup and am still struggling. I can't carry it in Test cricket where you need to be at full fitness. I'm enjoying one-day and Twenty20 so I'll concentrate on that. It's very difficult playing Tests after four years so it's better to leave this cricket."

Yawar Saeed, Pakistan's manager, confirmed the decision to Cricinfo, though he insisted he wouldn't call it a retirement. "Afridi had a side strain and felt that he shouldn't keep a specialist out of the side. Temperamentally he feels not comfortable with the format so Leeds will be his last Test," Saeed said.

Saeed said that Butt is likely to take over, but that any decision would have to be made in consultation with the board. Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, is in England currently "Salman Butt was appointed vice-captain for the tour and he will take over unless the PCB meets and decides otherwise. But as per procedure, he will take over," Saeed said.

The development will bring into sharp focus the PCB's decision to appoint Afridi as Test captain in the first place. He had already retired from the format once before, in 2006, only to return ironically for the tour to England that summer. He played a couple of Tests before pulling himself out of the format again.

Since his appointment recently, his hesitancy towards the format has surfaced repeatedly. In an interview to The Wisden Cricketer before the series began, Afridi hinted he might not play Tests for long. "I'm confident I am fine fitness-wise," he said then. "But I came back to Tests because I am doing it for the team only. If I think I am fit to do it, I will continue playing Tests. Otherwise I will not burden the side."

In a more recent interview to Cricinfo, he said, "If down the line I become aware that I am not a good captain or not a successful one, and the team is unable to make any use of me as a captain, I will not chase it. If I don't have the ability then I will leave it on my own...I did not ask anyone forcibly to give me the captaincy, nor will I forcibly captain the team. If I am good I will prove it through my performance. If I am not good I will say khuda hafeez [God be with you]. "

Thankfully Shahid himself realizes it too. He is just not suited for test cricket. He just doesn't have the right temperament for test cricket and that isn't his fault. Salman Butt would make an excellent test captain in my opinion. Perhaps he still hasn't the experience as a test captain, but he'll learn. Afridi should continue his game in ODI and T20 format where he's one of the best talents around.

Yaar the ONLY POSITIVE from this match was that atleast they looked united...now thats not going to be the case in the next test. It just sucks, for afridi going out like that.I mean his performance in the test wasnt great but the whole batting save butt and azhar to some extent collapsed.

THE ONLY ##### WHO SHOULD BE ANNOUNCING HIS RETIREMENT IS STILL THERE....I CANNOT BELIEVE THE NERVE THIS KAMEENA INSAAN HAVE....

WHO IS THE BIGGEST REASON FOR MOYO AND YOUNIS NOT BEING IN THE SQUAD?WHO IS THE REASON FOR IMRAN FART BEING IN THE SQUAD..WHO HAS BEEN PLAYING GOD WITH Pakistani CRICKET FOR THE LAST 2 Y RS.

CAN SOMEONE KICK IJAZ BUTT ALREADY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...NASEEM ASHRAF WAS BAD BUT THIS DUDE IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE...BRING SOMEONE EVEN HALF DECENT.We do lack test cricket skills, but its not as bad as these jackasses have made it.We stil lhave the two Ys, we still have players like asim kamal being wasted, like hameed on the bunch, its the board which was more keen on bringing afridi as captain bcoz they needed a scapegoat. this kinda mismanagment also reinforces the rebellion of the ex-players...the point was that after the teams falling out, the two Ys had to be warned and disciplined, not humiliated and kicked out.shoaib malik affair wasnt handled well either, although i think we have better players to replace him.

i think we immediately need to bring back Younish khan back,he can be the captain with everyone else told to play under him or walk.Most of the players who have a problem with him wont be in the test team anyway.Butt can be a good captain, it remains to be seen, however i dont know if it will affect his batting.

How do you summarise the events in the last 24 hours?I knew nothing about it [Shahid Afridi's retirement from Tests] beforehand. But I have respect for his honest opinion and he made a very good decision. He took the captaincy after we did not have a good tour of Australia, and we'd had a very difficult time, so he has done a great job so far. He has been doing wonderfully well in the one-dayers and Twenty20. I really respect his decision about Test cricket because this is a totally different domain. It is a big decision to make and not too many people would've gone through and made a decision like he did.

Did you predict anything like this might happen when the tour began?Being the vice-captain meant if anything goes wrong you are the next man. So I was partially ready for something like this, but I didn't expect him to retire like this. So mentally I was partially prepared.

What will be the biggest challenge ahead for you?We have a very good young unit. The two new guys [Azhar Ali and Umar Amin] have done really well because the standard of bowling at Lord's was world class. Yes, this is a home series but we all know this is not home. Still the way they played it was heartening. It is a step forward. If we play this unit for the next eight to ten months, we will have a different team. We still believe we can beat any side because it is this same side that won two Twenty20 matches against Australia, even though we lost two tight matches in Asia Cup. It is a good sign.

The average age of the side is under 25 so to have this potential is important. If we can see the youngsters play for the next 10-12 years, we can build a very good unit. But the important thing is that we have to be patient because experience does not have any short cuts. We have to give ourselves and the youngsters time and at the same time work hard. I am very sure that these guys are committed and they want to play for each other and the country.

No doubt it is a rebuilding phase but being the captain now, in addition to being the senior batsman, does that increase your burden?You can add the weight by using a different word but as a player my responsibility is the same: to go out there and perform to the best of my ability. It does not matter who is the captain because I am playing for Pakistan primarily and secondly for myself. If I don't do well I won't be in the team. It applies to everybody. What I see in my team is that they have the ability to fight. The other important thing is the new guys don't think about the big names. We tell each other everyday that we can beat anyone. The belief is steadily starting to develop and one day we will be once again a force to reckon with.

Your batting at Lord's looked settled and confident. Did you work on it consciously before the tour?There is nothing big to do. The best thing to do is to get your basics right and do the simple things well. I was just watching ball. That was one the one pieces of advice I got from a man, whose name I don't want to reveal at the moment. He was one of the best batsman I saw opening the innings. He just told me "watch the ball from the time it starts form the bowler's hand till it reaches you and let your body react to it." It has worked. The rest of my coaches here - Ijaz bhai, Waqar bhai and Aaqib bhai - they have been helping me and the youngsters. Even I don't have much experience. I have only played 28 Tests. You can call me a senior batsman but compared to other big players I am just two or three years older. I am not promising big things but there is definitely hope and the future is safe.

Can you talk about the coaching think tank - what exactly do they bring to the table?The best thing they bring is the mind of a champion. These were people that were part of the team that brought Pakistan cricket to the top. They were there when Pakistan won the World Cup. Aaqib bhai has been the coach of two Under-19 World Cup winning sides, Ijaz bhai was coach this year of the Under-19 team which ended as runners up [in New Zealand]. Waqar bhai was a champion bowler and needs no further introduction. These are people who have experienced pressure at the highest level and performed well, so there is nobody else better than these three to describe a game to a youngster. Their presence is very valuable and I hope every squad member will take a piece from their book and apply however he thinks suitable for himself.

The PCB haven't ruled out the return of the two Ys - Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan. How would you look at such a development?At the moment nothing has been discussed with me about them. Nobody can deny they are two great players but at the moment they haven't been discussed. We have to be content with what we have at hand. I'm very happy with the new boys who have come in. And even former players share the same opinion. We need to give them a long run. Nobody is a born Mohammad Yousuf or Wasim Akram or Inzamam-ul-Haq - even these players were not known when they came into cricket. Their performances made them who they are. So we need to given the youngsters the time. Hopefully, and I'm sure, they will make a name for themselves. Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

I really hope he doesnt really mean it when he said the SAME SIDE....plz of all ppl, he shud be tired of Imran Farhat...Bring yasir hameed, im not even sure abt kaneria....aussies have struggled against ajmal, why not give him a go?Hes a smart hardworking cricketer,i hope hes successful and then maybe he can challenge our mockery of a board and put the blame where it really belongs.